Paintings by Athens artist James Dean will be among the work by 29 artists on sale at the AthFest Artists Market.

Since its inception three years ago, AthFest's Artists Market has proved to be a popular venue for artists all over the Southeast. So much so that this year, art market organizers Pat McCaffrey and Melissa Link found themselves turning away slides for submission.

''It was hard to choose, and we wish we had more space,'' says McCaffrey.

So what kind of material can Art Market-goers expect? The more unusual, the better, maintain McCaffrey and Link.

This year, the market will feature not only photographs and pottery, but plastic buckets blow-torched into dragons and other remarkable creatures. There will be jewelry and paintings, along with an ''art car'' (while this one is from Florida, doubtless you've seen Athens' own fleet of primary-colored and decorated vehicles on the road) as well as a presentation on how to likewise transform your own vehicle.

Yard art and kids' puzzles will be on display, and so will picture frames made from found objects. Traditional country crafts are nowhere to be found here.

Besides Floridian Chris Hubbard's art car and Tennessean Danny Hoskins' bucket art, most of the material on display hails from the Southeast, much of it from the hands of local artists. (There is one exception: Yusef Etudaiye brings his meticulously detailed pots from Oklahoma.)

In all, 29 artists are represented, flavoring the top end of Washington Street with enormous artistic variety and integrity. Of the calibre of participants, McCaffrey says plainly, ''This is probably the highest quality we've had.''

The art market runs the same hours as AthFest's music events, which creates a natural complement, says McCaffrey: ''Visual and performing arts go naturally together.''

No one knows this more than the artists themselves, who are attracted to the Athens market for the Athfest atmosphere, says McCaffrey.

''This fair is smaller than most, but definitely the entertainment is a big draw,'' she says. ''It's a funky, rock 'n' roll crowd.''